Plans for a second high school in Lakewood Ranch debated due to traffic | Your Observer

Debate Over Second High School in Lakewood Ranch

Some Manatee County commissioners expressed concerns about traffic impacts before approving plans for a new high school in Lakewood Ranch. They emphasized the need to complete road improvements first.

Concerns About Traffic and Infrastructure

Commissioner Jason Bearden criticized the idea of building a high school on Lorraine Road before widening the road itself, which was recently defunded. He remarked that while there is much talk about “smart growth,” proceeding without completing necessary infrastructure projects amounts to “dumb growth.”

“We cannot continue to just approve things blindly without a plan because our job is to develop infrastructure around these projects,” Bearden said. “When those kids have a head-on collision because we're not having this discussion, then that's on you.”

Approval Process and Debates

The high school site on the southwest corner of Rangeland Parkway and Post Boulevard had prior approval from an earlier commission and the Manatee County School Board. The current meeting included the site plan under the agenda item “presentations upon request.”

Commissioner George Kruse explained this agenda category is for topics without public comments or significant questions from the board during earlier briefings. Despite this, a presentation was requested, leading to a heated debate and three separate motions.

Ultimately, the site plan was approved by a narrow 4-3 vote. Kruse, along with commissioners Mike Rahn, Amanda Ballard, and Tal Siddique, supported the measure.

Commissioners' Positions

Commissioner Kruse said the “presentations upon request” category is “reserved for items that nobody in the public has commented on and nobody on the board asked significant enough questions about during briefings to warrant the assumption of a presentation.”

Author's summary: The decision to build a new high school sparked debate over traffic concerns, with some commissioners urging infrastructure improvements before adding more vehicles to the area.

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Your Observer Your Observer — 2025-11-07

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